Senseless debate (no offense intended). It NEVER would have happened. Gotti was a greaseball highjacker in Paul's eyes. Right or wrong, who was more CN or not, isn't the question. It never would have happened.
As a matter of fact, had Paul named Jimmy Brown or Frankie DeCicco underboss, Gotti never could have pulled it off. Anyone but Bilotti, and Gotti's lucky if he still has two stripes in '86. Assuming he's not dead or in the can for something stupid.
But, to his credit, everything fell into place for him. He did pull it off, so he does deserve credit. But he got lucky, if you consider a five year run, then life in a cage lucky.
Wasn't Bilotti also a greaseball street thug? Gotti didn't like or respect Castellano, but I don't think he would have killed him unless he had to do it. He felt cornered by the Ruggiero tapes and his brother and best friend were on those tapes dealing junk. They would have both been killed and Gotti was facing death or demotion too. At that point it was kill or be killed and Gotti struck first.
Billoti carried himself with class, judging by his photos. Whenever Gotti opened his mouth, he always seemed to be using gutter language. Stuff like that would matter to Big Paul.
If Gotti had been made Underboss, it wouldn't change the fact that blood is thicker than water and he would have been thinking more about his loyality to the drug dealing Bergin Crew than to Paul. He still would've tried to whack Paul if only to save his brothers from getting whacked for selling
babania. Both Peter and Gene Gotti were in the Bergin Crew. Basically, Paul was sacrificed to save Peter and Gene.
